Springtime at the Rach Mieu 2 bridge construction site.

Construction of the tower pillars for Rach Mieu 2 Bridge. Photo: Thach Thao

Joy on the construction site

In 2024, key projects in the province were urgently implemented. Now, on the last day of 2024, the team of engineers and workers are delighted that the progress has met all the planned targets.

Perched atop the Rach Mieu 2 bridge tower in the middle of the Tien River, Mr. Le Thuan Dung, the safety officer for package XL-02, focused on observing and reminding workers about safety. In the late-year weather, from the top of the 120-meter-high tower, Mr. Le Thuan Dung shared: “Working on the tower, the workers shiver from the cold, but our joy comes from seeing the Rach Mieu 2 bridge take shape day by day. Just one more Tet holiday, and when the Rach Mieu 2 bridge is completed, the people of Ben Tre will no longer experience the traffic congestion at the bridge…” He included a drone image of the two towers of the Rach Mieu 2 bridge standing majestically in the thick fog of the final days of 2024.

Sharing his thoughts on the last Tet holiday in Ben Tre for the workers of Rach Mieu 2 bridge project, Mr. Vo Quoc Cuong - Commander of package XL-05, working in Chau Thanh district, said: “We have celebrated two New Year's holidays in 2023 and 2024, and now another Tet in 2025. The overall progress of package XL-05 has reached 78%. The roads are open and have undergone trial asphalt paving. We expect to begin mass asphalt paving of the XL-05 road surface on December 30, 2024.”

To date, the overall progress of the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge Construction Project connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces has reached over 73.21%, 0.53% ahead of schedule. The main bridge section – Rach Mieu 2 Bridge – is more than 17% ahead of schedule. Road construction has commenced along approximately 14km of the entire route. On December 9, 2024, asphalt concrete paving began in segments for sections within Ben Tre province.

Package XL-01 of the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge Project on the Tien Giang province side, although the land was handed over last, is progressing rapidly every day. A representative from the My Thuan Project Management Board stated: “We are striving to basically complete the DT.870 section before the Lunar New Year 2025 so that people can celebrate Tet safely and cleanly. This section is approximately 4km long (from the Dong Tam intersection - National Highway 1A to the Dong Tam Snake Farm intersection). According to the plan, the main bridge - Rach Mieu 2 Bridge - will have its side sections joined on April 30, 2025, and the main span will be joined in September 2025.”

Ensuring project progress

Regarding the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge access road project, there are two bidding packages. To date, for construction package No. 01 (in Chau Thanh district), the bridge section has been completed, including the Ba Lai Bridge and Tam Son Bridge (right and left). The road section has completed the crushed stone base layer and is currently undergoing asphalt paving, with approximately 70% of the work completed. The overall completion volume is around 85%.

Construction Package No. 02 (Ben Tre City area): The bridge section has completed girder installation and concrete pouring for the right-hand side of the Ma River bridge deck, and construction is underway on the left-hand side of the Ma River bridge deck. The road section is preparing for the construction of the upper layer of crushed stone base and the drainage culverts are basically complete. The estimated work volume is 68%.

A representative from the Project Management Board for the construction of transportation projects stated: "The Rach Mieu 2 Bridge access road project is expected to be completed and opened for technical traffic, ensuring synchronization with the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project, by April 30, 2025."

In Thanh Phuoc commune, Binh Dai district, the Ba Lai 8 bridge project on the coastal road is focusing on the construction of bored piles for the main bridge. Simultaneously, organic matter is being dredged to prepare for road construction. Currently, there are 3 bridge construction teams and 3 road construction teams on the site. According to the plan, package 2 (the main package) will complete 30% of bored pile drilling before the Lunar New Year 2025. Package 1 is currently focusing on equipment and materials for bored pile construction and roadbed sand pumping.

Identified as one of the province's 11 key projects for the 2020-2025 period, the Phu Thuan Industrial Park is a leading solution for industrial development, accelerating the pace of development and economic restructuring of the province. Investing in the Phu Thuan Industrial Park will create clean land to attract secondary investors, capital, science and technology, create jobs, and generate income for workers. It will also develop infrastructure and supporting services, create more export goods, and help increase local budget revenue. Currently, the Phu Thuan Industrial Park infrastructure construction project in Binh Dai district has disbursed VND 573.2 billion, reaching 63.49% of the allocated capital plan (the total capital plan for 2024 is VND 902.8 billion). Of the 8 bidding packages in the project, many important packages have been completed 100%, such as: the construction package for roads N3 and D1 (section from N3 to N4) and road D3 (section from N3 to N4); the land leveling package for lot A3 (approximately 22.18 hectares); and the land leveling package for lot A2 (approximately 21.81 hectares).

2024 concluded with a series of key projects receiving attention and guidance from the province, with difficulties being addressed at every stage. Thanks to this, the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project, the access road to the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge, and the Phu Thuan Industrial Park continued to accelerate construction progress, ensuring completion on schedule as directed by the Central Government. In addition, the commencement of the coastal road project through the province – the Ba Lai 8 Bridge project – in 2024 marked the gradual efforts of the Party Committee, government, and people of the province towards fulfilling the targets of the Resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025.

Thạch Thảo

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/kinh-te/dau-tu/xuan-tren-cong-trinh-cau-rach-mieu-2-a141330.html